


Returning

by Lannakitty



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: AU, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-22
Updated: 2011-04-22
Packaged: 2017-10-18 12:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/188982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lannakitty/pseuds/Lannakitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another had lived in the house while Ashley was...away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Returning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Canarii](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canarii/gifts).



> This fic was written in response to and inspired by [Displacement](http://kgaleway.livejournal.com/22574.html) by [](http://kgaleway.livejournal.com/profile)[**kgaleway**](http://kgaleway.livejournal.com/) (who has graciously allowed me to do so). You should totally read her fic.
> 
> For Kit, who is Kate Freelander to my Ash. *fistbump*

The shield had torn through her, shredding at the atomic level. Though she'd tried to force her way past it, she'd welcomed the cool near-nothingness when it finally came. After that, things got fuzzy. Awareness was vague and time ceased to have much meaning, at times passing quickly with other moments feeling like eternities.

She remembered living.

She remembered waking up on the floor, hard, rough, cold concrete. There was a breathless moment before she was finally able to gasp. Sound returned, then smell, then taste. The grey world rushed away and color, sight, sound, life, slammed into her.

Forgiveness was easily granted, and she hadn't expected that. To an extent, she didn't believe it entirely. Doubt and hope fought a constant war in her head that was tiring. The changes done to her couldn't be undone easily, if at all. Ashley declined to attempt the procedure. She'd had too much change forced on her already. No one could assure her that she'd be the same, and she didn't want to be less than she'd been

She'd own it. Take back her life. Fuck them. She'd win.

Ashley found froot loops in the kitchen. Henry had her sit down and watch all the horribad movies she'd missed. Her prized Jericho hung between the sidearm her mother used and her backup. Her clothing had been freshly laundered and neatly placed in her drawers and closets. The first night she slept in her room after more than a year, she cried to herself in relief, pent up emotions finally finding release. She'd then gone down to her mother's room and quietly tapped on the door. Her mother had drawn her in with a hug and they'd talked, really talked, in the way they hadn't in years.

But time had passed.

The froot loops were new, but an almost untouched box of frosted mini-wheats stood beside it, shifting ever closer to the back of the cabinet. Her gun hadn't had maintenance recently. While it hadn't been touched other than to dust, it hadn't been used either. Under the fresh scent of laundry, her clothing smelled of storage. Her room had the lingering, stuffy scent of disuse. Ashley hadn't been there, hadn't lived there.

Another _had_ lived in the house, though.

She found shirts that weren't hers in the laundry. A huge earring that while pretty, seemed totally impractical, had made it into her things as well. Another cubbyhole in the locker room had been filled with brushes and hair product as well as half a dozen bracelets. Ashley left the earring there when no one else was looking.

Will was a little more canny and would occasionally slip references to events she'd not been a part of. Likewise, Henry would make a joke and expect her to understand for half a second. They'd apologize and fill her in, but usually it wasn't funny unless you'd been there. Ashley tried not to be angry.

Sometimes her mother began to ask her questions on this or that status report. Ashley was still coming up to speed, and the task hadn't been hers for awhile. Her first mission back, her mother had started to call her the freelancer's name before correcting herself. Her smile at Ashley, apology and relief and pride, had quelled much of Ashley's hurt...but not all.

She found many of the spaces that had been hers before she'd been taken, had reclaimed them because she needed to, to feel whole again, to feel like herself. But, there were new holes.

Who'd left the cartons of leftover Chinese? Kate.

Who'd Tivoed all of Operation Paranormal? Kate.

Where had the ridiculously awesome knitted hat come from? Kate.

Ashley tried not to be angry, but so much had already been taken from her, and this felt like more of the same. There were experiences she'd not been there for and this other woman had been. Ashley had never actually met her, but she wasn't sure she liked her anyway. It wasn't fair, she knew that, but the feelings were there. Apparently Freelander had split town the night she'd returned, but she'd made an impression on the house and everyone in it.

Her mother tried not to coddle, but she did anyway. Henry hovered and Will...Well, he'd somehow gotten her to tell him more about what happened than she'd intended. She was a little annoyed with him for that, even if she did feel better. But still, she just wanted her life back, wanted it to be normal. Or at least what had passed for normal. She needed to escape, just for a little while.

Ashley got on her bike, Will had been more than happy to hand it back to her, even the second set of keys. He'd even taken it in and had all the oil changed and had it detailed if only she'd take it back. She let her mother know she'd be back by dinner then left the looks, hovering and coddling all behind.

The city hadn't changed much. There were a couple new business and restaurants. Each change stuck out, reminding her that she'd not been there, that life had moved on without her and by chance she was here to see it. When it had been others, it had been easy to deal with. The reality of it happening to her was...harder than expected.

Ashley pulled over to the side of the road a little ways out of town. Helmet off, she watched the city sprawl before her with it's people moving here and there, too tiny to see at this distance. The cars stopped and started, darting around the roads, here then gone. The city was large, ever growing and changing. Lights came up like little stars in the falling darkness. Ashley looked up at the sky; day was retreating, revealing the boundless blackness. She shivered.

Will had been on her to let go of the anger, the pain, the hatred, the regret. It was hard. The Cabal deserved all of it, and her family none. This other girl didn't either. Ash had kinda liked the shirts. She'd also been glad Biggie had found another friend; he didn't make those easily. Someone had kept Henry on his toes. Will had needed someone to show him the ropes that wasn't mom. Mom...Her mother had needed the backup.

Who'd been the one to find her hold-out rocket launcher? Kate.

Who'd been the one to stop her from the unthinkable? Kate.

Who'd kept everyone alive while she'd been gone? Kate.

In a strange way, she owed the other woman. Kate had been there while Ashley had been...wherever. Ashley had a family to come back to because she'd stuck around. She'd made a place for herself, and despite mixed feelings, Ashley was curious.

Ashley put her helmet back on and rode back home. She felt a little giddy riding under the arched gates. Dinner, she was informed, was in half an hour. Ashley grinned at Biggie then found her mother at her filing cabinet in her office. Ashley hugged her tight, telling her biggie expected them at the table momentarily.

She'd change and have dinner. Then...Then she'd go out on a hunt. Curiosity aside, she owed a debt to the freelancer, and Ashley Magnus always paid her debts.

~fin 


End file.
